resourceH i g h l i g h t

from Character Needed by Robert A. Allen

This collection of 33 skits based on the character qualities found in Proverbs 15 was written specifically for use with children. Use in Sunday School, children’s church, Christian school chapels, VBS, camp, or family devotional times. The scripts can be read aloud with minimal staging, costuming, and rehearsals. Here is one script from the new collection.

Scripture Reference: Proverbs 15:13—“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

Character Trait: Joy

Running Time: 5–10 minutes

Synopsis: A family chooses favorite verses from the passage they’ve read in devotions. For them, family devotions is a good, enjoyable time.

Cast of CharactersNarrator—may appear on or off stageBill—preteenJay—preteen neighbor boyFather—mid-thirties to early fortiesMother—mid-thirties to early fortiesElizabeth—teenLindy—preschooler

BILL and JAY stand on opposite sides of “door,” with BILL inside. He “opens” the door before he speaks.

BILL: Hi, Jay.

JAY: Hi, Bill. Can you come out to play?

BILL: No, not right now.

JAY: What’s the matter? Still eating?

BILL: No, we’re just having devotions.

JAY: Having devotions? Is that something like having hamburgers?

BILL: No. Well, maybe it is. Dad says having devo-tions is our spiritual food—that it’s like good medicine. We read the Bible though. We don’t have hamburgers or get shots.

JAY: Oh, the Bible. We do that sometimes too. But it’s not much fun. Why don’t you just skip it and come out to play?

BILL: Oh no. I wouldn’t miss it for anything. We have a great time. We read stories and sometimes we put on skits. And we learn verses and sing songs.

JAY: Boy, that doesn’t sound like anything we do. Ours is worse than taking medicine. Well, I guess I’ll see you later.

BILL: Hey, why don’t you come in and join us? I’m sure it will be all right. (Turning to interior) Hey, Dad. Can Jay come in during devotions?

FATHER: Sure. Come right in, Jay. We just finished read-ing the fifteenth chapter of Proverbs, and now we’re getting ready to talk about it. Elizabeth, which verse in the chapter did you like?

ELIZABETH: Well, I like the first verse. (Looks down and reads from Bible) “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous [harsh] word stirs up anger.”

FATHER: That is a good one. Do you know any gentle answers?

ELIZABETH: I guess “I’m sorry” would be one. When we do something to upset you or Mom, saying “I’m sorry” can turn away your wrath if we really mean it.

FATHER: Very good. And I think you could add “please” and “thank you” to your list. Sometimes when Mother asks me to do a job around the house, I don’t particularly feel like it. But I can’t resist her when she says “please” and “thank you.”

Better than Medicine

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MOTHER: I like verse seventeen, which I learned when I was younger: “Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.”

FATHER: I can’t remember eating any herbs for dinner.

MOTHER: That’s not what it means, dear. It means that love is more important in a family than even what we eat.

ELIZABETH: I like that too, Mom. Love is a lot better than spinach.

LINDY: I like macaroni hot dish!

MOTHER: And so do we all, Lindy. But I especially like the love your father shows to us in providing the things we eat. I think we should all give him a hand for providing love and the “stalled ox.”

ALL clap.

FATHER: Thank you, everyone. God has given me a won-derful family to love. Bill, how about you? Did you pick out a verse?

BILL: Dad, I have a question.

FATHER: Sure, Bill. What’s that?

BILL: Dad. What’s a dead ringer?

FATHER: A dead ringer? What verse was that in? Did I miss something?

BILL: A dead ringer is a deceased Avon lady. I chose verse thirteen: “A [happy] heart maketh a cheer-ful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

FATHER: (Laughing) That’s a good one, Bill. A dead ringer. You had me going there for a minute. I thought maybe I had completely overlooked one of the verses. I think we’ll act out a Bible story in just a minute, but first, let’s let Lindy pick out a song to sing.

LINDY: Okay. Let’s sing “Pop, Goes the Weasel.”

FATHER: That’s a fun song, all right, and maybe we can sing it a little later. Right now, let’s see if we can think of one about the Bible.

ELIZABETH: How about, “If you’re happy and you know it”?

BILL: That’s just what my verse was talking about.

FATHER: Right, you. I think these verses have been good medicine for all of us.

Production Notes: The entire sketch takes place in the home, either on a sofa in the living room, or around a table in the kitchen. BILL, JAY, ELIZABETH, LINDY, MOTHER, and FATHER each have a Bible. ALL are dressed in casual contemporary clothes.

To learn more, visit www.RegularBaptistPress.org

WAIT . . . since when was a Christmas program ever “hassle free”? This year, celebrate Christmas with a quiet, thoughtful refl ection on God’s “humble gift of love.” Ready for Christmas includes several songs, poems, and memory verses that coordinate with some of the Regular Baptist Press Sunday School curriculum. Teachers will appreciate this integrated idea!

WAIT . . . since when was a Christmas program ever “hassle free”? This year, WAIT . . . since when was a Christmas program ever “hassle free”? This year, celebrate Christmas with a quiet, thoughtful refl ection on God’s “humble celebrate Christmas with a quiet, thoughtful refl ection on God’s “humble

SIMPLE. HASSLE-FREE. LOW BUDGET. THOUGHTFUL.

Robert A. Allen (DMin, Baptist Bible Seminary) is pastor of First Baptist Church, Maxwell, Neb. He was formerly the chair of the Communications Department at Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, and taught at Baptist Bible College (Clarks Summit, Pa.). He has written nine other books on communication, sermon preparation, drama, and Christian biography. Bob and his wife, Carmen, have four adult children.

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